God, evolution, Darwin, bikes, mountains etc

What! Fossil Free Nativity? No dinosaurs?

No, I am not referring to some Primary School which upset some children and parents by refusing to allow pupils to dress up in dino suits and stand with the sheep in the school nativity. not that some school “nativities” are no better than that. Often nativities have degenerated into a general Winterval concert, with the only nod to the birth of Christ being singing “Away in a Manger”. I can say that as for the last forty years I have sat through dozens of “nativities” put on for Church and County schools and within the church. Some have been very good and put over the story of Jesus’ birth in a fresh way for children and parents, many are indifferent and some were a farce.

A fossil free Nativity is very different. I am not sure how best to describe it, without imitating the language of St Paul in his stroppy letter to the Galatians and from a similar level of feeling. A fossil free nativity is a way of using the basic outline of the birth of Jesus with the usual characters and adding two “baddies” EDF and BP. The aim is to raise awareness about climate change and the need to get rid of dirty fossil fuels and DIVEST. Of course, in November, Oxford Diocese voted to divest from fossil fuels over the next five years. (I note that there was no motion for all Oxford Anglicans to stop USING fossil fuels in any shape or form.) http://operationnoah.org/news-events/church-england-oxford-diocese-decides-go-fossil-free/

You could google for other reports.

Last year A Fossil Free Nativity was performed on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral and is described here; http://www.greenchristian.org.uk/archives/6517 and in 2014 it took place outside Methodist Central Hall in London. here are two of their photographs

Below I include the full script of the Fossil Free Nativity (and join in the carols) and decide for your self what you think of it.

To give a flavour of where I stand as a Christian concerned deeply for the environment I include a copy of my letter to the main CofE newspaper The Church Times published on 12th December 2014. (There could be a reply on 19th Dec)

Dear Sir,

Well, Oxford Diocese is the first to vote for divestment, right under the nose of the Shell Geoscience Laboratory in my old Earth Sciences Department! That caused a ripple when it was formed last year, with a designated Shell professor. Ironically the vote for divestment coincided with the fall of oil prices, disarray in OPEC, confusion in the oil market, all of which may or may not be game-changing for oil.

However the call for divestment seems to be more ideological than ethical, theological or practical, as it seems more like a vote against sin rather than dealing with it! Everyone one of us will being using fossil fuels, either directly or indirectly, for the rest of this century. The important issue is rather how the whole world can move to cleaner energy production, rather than token divestment which will marginalise the protestors and thus green voices will be ignored.

Like any industry, fossil fuel companies need ethical challenging both from the outside and within with investors calling firms to task when necessary. On both of these churches have an important role to play, as we are seeing over the Archbishop and foodbanks, provided the arguments presented are well-thought and grounded in theology and the real world and not from a knee-jerk ideology.

Unfortunately we do see the latter and much of the movement to divestment is not well-thought and also marred with serious mistakes. Whether we like it or not the whole world is dependent on fossil fuels and they cannot be dispensed with in a few years or a few decades. The progress to cleaner energy can either be catastrophic or gradual, with the two threats of doing nothing and accelerating climate change or forcing for removal of fossil fuels which will either be rebuffed with “fossil abusers” getting the upper hand or breaking down a society dependent on fossil fuels creating hunger and fuel poverty on a massive scale. It seems that divestors have not considered any alternatives or ways of transitioning to cleaner energy.

This is not surprising as one cleaner energy is demonised and rejected, and that is shale gas. Operation Noah, the driving force of divestment in our churches has fallen into this trap. They fail to consider alternatives to divestment and also are seriously inaccurate on shale gas as can be seen in their report Bright Now and the writings of several of their patrons and board, one of which is described by a professor of petrophysics as “perhaps the most erroneous document on shale gas I have ever seen”. I found that comment most embarrassing, but irrefutable. It does raise questions of competence and bias, but it is common among those who oppose shale gas and repeat the common anti-fracking memes. There is little awareness that fossil fuels vary in their dirtiness with coal by far the worst, or that least worst is sometimes the best. False claims that fracked gas is worse than coal do not make for a sensible dialogue, nor do howlers on fossil fuels.

Far better would be for churches, and the Church of England, to consider all alternatives, rather than appeal for divestment. They also need to get their facts right. If not the Church of England will become a stranded resource.

Yours sincerely

Michael Roberts (Rev)

Frankly I find appeals for divestment (and against fracking) to be utter folly (theological use of that word) and very ill-thought out. I reckon the green wing of the churches has got things very very wrong and, despite being green, I cannot identify with this kind of thing. It will do nothing to help the environment and nullifies all the much-needed green concerns these groups have. I find that their approach has descended into a political ideology rather than a wise and constructive way of dealing with environmental issues.

I find this very sad.

In today’s society we cannot live without fossil fuels and to ban would result in an utter catastrophe whereby many would die of starvation or cold, not to mention illness.

My challenge to anyone who supports divestment is to ask;

Will you stop using fossil fuels in any shape or form, whether for heating, transport (personal and for goods), food (artificial fertilisers and transport), clothing (artificial fibres and energy used to make and transport clothes made from natural fibres), water (dependent on much energy usage) and any electrical or electronic goods?

Those who favour this kind of thing should be given the following challenge;

Will they have the guts to live a Fossil Free 2015, and eshew fossil fuels in ALL aspects of their lives?

.

A Fossil Free Nativity (2014)

Script by Westley Ingram

Song lyrics revised by George Dow, Simon Honey and Ben Rafferty.

This script is intended to be used in goodwill, for larking about, for struggles against principalities and powers* and for purposes not commercial.

( * Principalities and powers This expression is found 6 times in the New Testament most notably in Pauls letter to the Ephesians chap 6 vs 12, and are part of the evils forces which are against God, thus evil. This shows that the authors of this “nativity” thought all energy and fossil fuel (eg EDF and BP who are named) companies to be evil and anti-God. I find this offensive as a Christian)

Parts (14): Narrator EDF Wise One 1 Shepherd 1

Mary Angel Gabriel BP Wise One 2 Shepherd 2

Joseph Zachariah King Herod Wise One 3 Scripture Reader

Prologue: Narrator, Gabriel, Scripture

During the prologue all three are on stage staying pretty still unless they feel like moving about.

Narrator: Hello Strangers, hello friends,

Angels, donkeys, mice and men.

And woman. Heaven forfend misogyny

should mar this blessed Nativity.

But marred we are, the gloop is thick

and round our necks. We’re sinking quick.

In our sorry state we gasping plead

for some great estate to take a lead.

What’s that you say? Do my ears deceive?

Rumours of a fossil free C of E?

Perhaps with Bishops on the ball

There is some good news after all!

And like a branch snatched from the fire

it’s not just these Bishops that conspire.

Knowing cleanliness is next to Godliness

Methodists ponder whether to disinvest.

But I tarry and time is short

as our climatologists report

To waste more time would be a sin,

So let’s begin, at the begin.

Scripture reading:

John 1, 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Gabriel: The Word spoke out many things

on foot and fin and on the wing

of Water, earth, wind and fire

all elements that do conspire

to allow life and grant great pleasure

when each is present in due measure

but dark uncreation undoes his great care

when too much Carbon is in the air.

John 1, 4 In him was life,[a] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the

darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Gabriel: But life, like it’s source is ever working

and there is hope everywhere lurking.

Oil men rub their hands, worrying not the least

too busy to notice a star in the east.

There is a third act. We’ll breath clear again

But first what we need are a few good women and men.

John 1, 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to

bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to

In the peak oil winter The fossil fuels all gone No coal to smelt the iron, Let’s go back to stone GDP is falling, plastics had it’s day In the peak oil winter Not too far away

End of Scene 1

Scene 2: Mary (Narrator, Mary, Gabriel, Scripture)

Narrator, Scripture reader and Mary on stage. Gabriel enters later.

Narrator: In scene 2 we meet Mary, a girl of low station

She is Zach’s wife Elizabeth’s own poor relation

As she sits in the dark she is darning a sock

so when it is done she can put it in hock

Her fiance called Joseph is out. He works all the time.

He’s out fitting solar panels in rain, hail or shine.

Like Joseph, this young woman Mary is a practical sort

and little suspects an Angel speeds her way by public transport.

Scripture: Psalm 112

4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. 5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.

6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.

Gabriel:(enter Gabriel)

Mary! The Lord thinks you are fantastic

he’s getting excited. Heavens gone frantic!

Mary: (falls to the floor)

Gabriel: Calm down there Mary. Don’t be afraid!

Good news. Soon you’ll be in the family way!

Mary:(gets up)

What are you saying? I will not have a baby.

I’m quite confident. No ifs, buts or maybes.

Events must conspire before a babes on the scene

and I have never, ever…, You know what I mean?

Gabriel: Oh don’t worry Mary, what you say is a fact

but the spirit of God will take care of all that.

Mary: Say what now?

Gabriel: Don’t worry Mary. Wondrous things will unfold

Your son, named Jesus will do things long foretold

He’ll be this lands greatest ruler and then…

Ah, Peace on the Earth and goodwill toward men..

Mary: And women?

Gabriel: Yes, and women. Women and men.

And his Kingdom will have no end.

Mary: In case you hadn’t noticed I don’t live in a palace.

I can’t raise a King. Not with my bank balance!

Gabriel: Verily Mary, we agree with your sums

You have 99 problems but being rich ain’t one.

It’s not just that you’re broke and living in obscurity

Now bang goes your good name, despite all of your purity.

This King will be humble, and of low station

getting a bottom up view of his creation.

In case your worried this is too much for you

This little scandal’s going to ruin Joseph too.

Mary: Oh, that’s all right then I suppose.

Gabriel: Excellent! Now I’m off. I’ll let myself out.

I expect you and Joseph have a lot to talk about.

One last thing. Watch out for Herod, he’s a little bit crazy

he does everything he’s told by his advisors, EDF and BP.

They have him all wrapped up and for their own improvement

and are unlikely to aid in the Peace on Earth movement.

(exit Gabriel)

Mary: Maybe God isn’t looking down on us as it turns out:

from the top of the Shard, with the rich in collusion.

But at last God is with us, who they said didn’t count,

looking down on the rich from our place of exclusion.

Well this is rich! I tell you in the sight of you all.

If I am raising a King he will be called Wonderful!

He will love his Mother, his neighbours and his foes

Poor in spirit and in pocket, meek, gentle and opposed

to brutal sorts, unpopular with the establishment,

or anyone corrupt or crooked, the liars and the bent.

Everybody else though will think he is the best

and his friends with cash in fossil fuels will surely disinvest.

All sing: NO OIL

No oil, no oil the angels did sing No more fossil fuels just invest in green things Solar panels, local food, and other green stuff

Insulate all buildings then we’ll be warm enough No Oil, no oil, no oil, no oil Now is the time to divest from those fuels!